Cavalry employed firearms of lighter caliber and shorter range. The rifled muskets commonly carried by Civil War infantry were not ideal cavalry weapons--they were bulky and nearly impossible to load and fire from the saddle. In the early years of the war most cavalrymen were equipped with shotguns, pistols, and other close-range but easy to handle weapons. As the war and technology progressed, however, repeating or breech-loading carbines became more prevalent and dramatically increased cavalry's firepower.

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Answer:

Cavalry employed firearms of lighter caliber and shorter range. The rifled muskets commonly carried by Civil War infantry were not ideal cavalry weapons--they were bulky and nearly impossible to load and fire from the saddle. In the early years of the war most cavalrymen were equipped with shotguns, pistols, and other close-range but easy to handle weapons. As the war and technology progressed, however, repeating or breech-loading carbines became more prevalent and dramatically increased cavalry's firepower.